Senators pick up the pieces and pack for an uncertain future

Ottawa Senators players woke up like most of the people in the city Wednesday morning, facing the challenge of the onslaught that was dumped on them the night before.

After yielding a third period four-spot to the Carolina Hurricanes in front of a one-third full Canadian Tire Centre, it’s time to dig out from under the mess, as they embark on a four-game road trip that begins against the Detroit Red Wings Thursday.

Yet while they are trying to sing the standard tune about being professionals and putting the past behind them, they are also facing the reality that one, two, three – hell, maybe even a full handful – of the group won’t be with them by the time the nine-day trek is over. Mark Stone, Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel, Cody Ceci and Magnus Paajarvi are among the potential targets as the Feb. 25 trade deadline closes in.

Matt Duchene.Claus Andersen /
Getty Images

Consider this: the 6,000-odd fans who showed up the other night could very well have seen a piece of history: the 121st and perhaps final goal in Mark Stone’s career with the Senators.

“You take it for what it is, it’s that time of year,” winger Bobby Ryan said of the speculation season, fast becoming an annual event in Ottawa. “We’re in a results-driven business. You feel for the guys who are really going through it. That being said, you still have to go to work, right? You’ve still got to get to the rink and get the job done.”

It helps, Ryan says, that the bulk of the trip will be spent in the United States, where trade talk doesn’t knock Trump talk off the front pages.

“You’re not going to see it every time you turn the TV on, those guys aren’t going to hear it and be part of it every second of every day and there will be some relief in that sense.

“But I can’t imagine what the three (Stone, Dzingel, Duchene) who are really in the middle of it are going through. You just try to be a good teammate and answer questions if they have them. If not, you let them be and go about your business.”

(The Senators do have a stop Saturday in Winnipeg and either Stone and Duchene could potentially end up with the Jets when the dealing is done).

Mark Stone.Sean Kilpatrick /
THE CANADIAN PRESS

There’s some dark humour involved in all of the above, as defenceman Mark Borowiecki says he joked with Paajarvi about so many players potentially packing extra suitcases because of all the unknowns.

The loss of Stone would hurt more than the rest. He has developed all the way from a longshot sixth round draft selection in 2010 into one of the NHL’s most complete forwards, but he has gone silent on his future in the past month, leaving so many questions about why he appears to already have one skate out the door.

“Stoney is someone I lived with for a couple of years in Binghamton (of the American Hockey League),” said Borowiecki. “We kind of grew up in pro hockey together. He’s someone I care about very, very much. I respect all the guys in here, but I have kind of a soft spot for Stoner and I hope, selfishly, we can keep him here.”

In many ways, Borowiecki has become the social conscience of the Senators dressing room. The string of defeats and departures hits hard.

“We had a practice at the Bell Sensplex the other day and there were a ton of people watching us and we had just lost a ton of games and we were in last place and it’s a shot to your ego, a shot to your pride, for sure,” he said.

“We want this organization to do well, but you’ve just got to take a little pause to make sure you’re doing something positive. Everyone in this organization, we all need to do that. What are we doing to help this team grow and what are we doing to help get this fan base on board?

“People may be disgruntled or not agree with everything. The onus is on us as an organization to win them back.”

Defenceman Dylan DeMelo.Justin Tang /
THE CANADIAN PRESS

A RULE RIDDLE: Keeping in mind that it was poor penalty killing that turned a 1-1 tie into a 3-1 deficit early in the third period against the Hurricanes, a disallowed Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal would have given the Senators a 2-0 second period lead. The goal was disallowed after video because Pageau was ruled to have made a distinct kicking motion at the puck. But the puck first bounced off Hurricanes goaltender Curtis McElhinney three feet in front of the net. “That’s unfortunate,” said defenceman Dylan DeMelo. “If there is no goalie in net, that’s going into the corner (of the rink). Obviously, he’s not trying to kick it in.” We agree…

DeMelo on whether the small crowd Tuesday made a difference: “Everyone played in the minor leagues where you don’t get a lot of fans, but there’s no excuse for that, we’ve got to create our own energy.”…

With storm clean up taking over the city Wednesday, the Senators cancelled their scheduled morning practice, opting to go directly to the airport for their afternoon charter to Detroit. The expectation is that Anders Nilsson will make his fourth consecutive start Thursday against the Red Wings.

This Week's Flyers

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.